Desperation
by ToraHogosha
Summary: RATED T FOR BLOOD. Karai has kidnapped Leonardo, leaving Raphael desperate to find him. When he gets the chance to confront Karai, will he cross the line of honour and righteousness in search for his older brother? ONE-SHOT.


My vision red, heated, bursting with murderous rage, I charged at Karai. Catching her slightly off-guard, the girl didn't have time to counter and stumbled backwards before being knocked off the ground by my tackle. In a flash, I drew the double knives from my belt - mentally thanking Donatello for suggesting that I bring them - and pressed them tight against Karai's throat. Pinned to the ground by the blades, she was trapped, and she knew it too. The slightest movement on her part would knock the sharp edge into her unprotected throat, intentionally on my part or not. She was at my mercy.

However, her challenging glare bore no resemblance of fear. Perhaps she thought I would never kill her in cold blood? Perhaps she thought I didn't have the guts?

Keeping the knives across her tight, I glared daggers into her cold eyes and, through clenched teeth, growled, "Now you listen to me: Leonardo is the closest person to me. I don't care if I have to rip you apart piece by piece, send you back to The Shredder in parcels, but you will tell me where he is."

Karai sneered, remaining silent.

Without hesitation, I completely snapped, rational thoughts being overcome by instincts. With the knife in my left hand remaining at her throat, the one in my right swung around and slashed a deep gouge into Karai's forearm.

Karai shrieked, forcing herself not to writhe and struggle as blood seeped from her wound and her arm began pounding in agony, dripping into a puddle on the floor.

She stared up at me, eyes shining with new-found terror. She hadn't expected me to do it.

Honestly, I hadn't expected me to do it either.

However, this small release of fury did little to calm me. Holding the blade back up against her throat, I threatened, "That was strike one. Strike two is going to be much, much worse."

Karai panted, rapidly gasping for breath.

Grimacing maliciously, I took the right blade and held it against Karai's cheek. Her eyes flitted between the knife blade and myself. "Tell me where Leonardo is," I demanded, lowly, watching as the sharp edge cut into the skin and slowly drew a cut down her cheek. Like crimson tears, blood trickled down her face.

Karai bit through her lip, squeezing her eyes tightly shut like a small child trying to wake themselves up from a nightmare.

"Did you know…" I held the bloodied knife above her, allowing a few drops to escape from it as I did. "That an untended stab wound to the gut will keep you alive for hours before killing you. You'll bleed out, but first you'll have to suffer through your insides contorting, twisting together in a harsh tangle. Nausea will overcome you, but you won't pass out. Instead, you'll just have to agonize until you eventually can't take the anguish anymore."

Karai's expression was one of horror, eyes wild and mouth lingering upon ever so slightly, not daring to close.

"I don't _need_ you to find Leonardo," I continued, menacingly. "But your co-operation will be most valued. If you help me now, I'll leave you here, not mortally wounded, to go find Leonardo. If you make me wait any longer, I'll stab you in the gut and break both your legs before I leave to go and find Leonardo. Choose. Now."

She hesitated; for effect, I shifted so that one of the blades was now lingering high above Karai's gut, only waiting for my order to strike. "You're choice…"

At the first jolt of my arm, Karai shrieked, "Wait! Please!"

I relaxed, as did she.

Fighting for breath, she declared, "The Foot are holding him at the abandoned hospital on the outskirts of Greenwich. First floor."

I held her stare for a moment. "You're lying," I challenged, raising the knife again.

"NO! I'M NOT!" Karai cringed, shrinking further into the floor beneath her. The tears that had hovered at the corners of her eyes allowed themselves to escape, trickling off the edges of her face and into her black hair. "Please…"

Smiling with satisfaction, I relented my hold and said, "Thank you, Karai," before knocking her unconscious with the hilt of my knife. Standing up, I murmured to myself, "Your co-operation is much appreciated."


End file.
